New University training scheme to sustain the future of food quality

Posted on 26 Sep 2012

The first cohort of participants for new postgraduate food programmes at the School of Chemical Engineering will join Birmingham in September this year.

The University of Birmingham is laying the foundations for brand new food programmes as part of the Food Advanced Training Partnership (Food ATP), a major scheme to ensure the agri-food industry has the key skills needed to meet the challenges posed by national and global food security. The partnership joins leading UK institutions in food and agricultural research with the food industry.

Birmingham’s Food team in the School of Chemical Engineering is developing the Food ATP programmes in conjunction with the University of Reading, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), to develop highly skilled food industry leaders of tomorrow.

The University and its partners have developed formal postgraduate qualifications, and offer continuing professional development through taught modules, tailored programmes and active research. The Food ATP academic qualifications will be jointly awarded by the Universities of Birmingham and Reading.

The Food ATP will allow industry professionals to integrate learning from across the food chain from primary production to consumers, through bringing together expertise in a unique training partnership. More than 20 foremost industry partners from across the food industry, including Kraft Foods, Waitrose, British Sugar and Sainsbury’s, are steering and shaping the training to ensure industry’s needs are met.

Professor Peter Fryer, head of the School of Chemical Engineering said: “The unique Food ATP partnership will enable us to strengthen ties with the agri-food sector and develop cutting edge research to ensure scientists and researchers have the right skills to meet the challenges posed by food security, and are equipped to drive forward innovation and strengthen the competitiveness of the UK food industry. We very much look forward to welcoming participants onto the new Food ATP programmes at the University in September.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

University of Birmingham will be working with the University of Reading, Leatherhead Food Research and Rothamsted Research to deliver a flexible programme of teaching and training.

The School of Chemical Engineering at Birmingham is one of the largest concentrations of Chemical Engineering expertise in the UK, with an excellent reputation in learning, teaching and research which is reflected in our RAE rating putting us in the top five Chemical Engineering Schools in the country.